Light of Seirin
by VixenOfMeiraz
Summary: "Shirogane Hikari! Are you here?" "Sumimasen, I'm here." There was a moment of silence. "Ahhhh! When did you get here?" "Ano, I was here since the very beginning…" "Are you and Kuroko related or something?" "we're cousins." - OCxAomine, Implied MidoTaka & RikoHyuga
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thanks to ArrowHawk for introducing me to this anime/manga series :D It really is awesome. I hope you guys enjoy this fic ****J **

**Edited: 9 November 2014**

**A/N: This chapter has been edited. Please reread.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except Hikari and she is not in any way related to Eiji or Kozo Shirogane.**

* * *

Shirogane Hikari stood a little ways away from the booth as she watched her cousin place their sign-up forms for the Seirin High School's basketball team right infront of the girl sitting at the booth, without her noticing at all. She had applied to be manager of the team if they did not have one already. She stared idly at the bustling school grounds, wondering how the students could actually not notice Kuroko.

To be fair though, she had spent the past 14 years with him, making it much easier to feel his presence. After her parents had died in a car crash when she was two, Kuroko's parents, her mother's sister and her husband, took her in. She'd been with Kuroko ever since.

Her cousin returned to her side, and she said in a deadpan voice both her and Kuroko were known for, "Do you think we'll get in? I hear Seirin's basketball team isn't bad. They even made it to the final league of the Inter-High preliminaries last year."

"I think there's a fairly high chance of it. But I'm not too sure," came his reply.

Hikari gave a small noise of agreement. The pair just stood there, unnoticed by other students, a soft breeze ruffling their hair, and just enjoying each other's company. A flash of red caught the white-haired girl's eye.

Tilting her chin in the booth's direction, she said, "Tetsu-nii, look."

Kuroko's teal eyes swiveled towards where Hikari was indicating, and saw a tall redhead holding one of the upperclassmen by the collar. He then sat down and filled out a sign-up form. His large frame looked to be very muscular, much like-. Hikari halted that line of thought and shook her head to get rid of the mental image forming in her head.

As soon as the redhead left, the upperclassmen at the booth seemed to have noticed Kuroko and Hikari's sign-up forms.

_At the booth…_

"Manager?" Aida Riko questioned, looking at one of the forms which had mysteriously appeared on the desk, "Do we need one?"

"Ne Riko, with you working as both manager and coach, it must be tiring for you. Don't you think with someone to help out with the manger duties, you can focus more on coaching?" Hyuga Junpei, team captain pointed out.

Rubbing her chin thoughtfully, Riko mused, "Hm… That's actually not a bad idea, Hyuga-kun."

"Well, we'll see tomorrow, when this Shirogane Hikari shows up," Riko set down that form and picked up the other form.

Her chocolate orbs grew wide as they took in the middle school of the applicant.

"Regular of T-Teiko?! Since this guy is a first-year, he could be one of the Generation of Miracles!" Riko exclaimed, causing both Koga and Hyuga to look at the form as well.

"Why didn't I see this golden egg?!" the petite coach wailed.

Hikari giggled softly as she and Kuroko watched the brunette freak out. Even Kuroko cracked a small smile. Beckoning to the girl, Kuroko said, "Come, Hikari. Let's head to class."

* * *

_At the tryouts the next day…_

A handful of first-years stood infront of the basketball team, each filled with excitement. Hikari stood to the side, watching yet again as Kuroko went unnoticed.

"Alright, you are all here to try out for the basketball team. Do you have what it takes to be on the team?" Hyuga shouted to the group of hopefuls.

Soft murmurs came from the first-years, some tittering about Riko being the manager; those were quickly corrected by Hyuga. Riko smirked evilly and stepped forward, blowing sharply on the whistle hanging around her neck, calling the attention of those before her.

"Take off your shirts!" she commanded.

The boys' eyes grew large and their mouths gaped. Was she serious?

"Coach's father is a personal sports trainer. She grew up learning to see every capability of a body just by looking at it. She can determine the height, weight, strength, speed and flexibility, plus the faults and strengths of your separate body-parts, for example your legs, which is useful for her to figure out how to best improve on your abilities. So take your shirts off now!" Hyuga explained.

Within a couple of seconds, the muscular or not-so-muscular bodies of the basketball hopefuls were 'presented' to the analytical eye of Riko. She surveyed them, a mental image of their stats appearing in her mind. She gave some tips to each one as she made her way down the line. They weren't bad, but they could use some training…

Riko stopped infront of the last guy in line. He had dark red hair and menacing crimson eyes that stared straight at Riko. Her mouth fell open as she saw his toned, muscled body. Such raw strength! He must have worked out a lot… Images of what kind of training she could put the rest of the team under to get this kind of body ran through her brain, Riko started to drool, Hyuga's concerned "Coach?" only managing to snap her out of her trance.

Hikari had to admit, that last guy really was something. For a first-year to have such a body was rather impressive. She was willing to bet that the other guys on the team didn't even have such muscle definition. Of course, he couldn't beat- Hikari shook her head, a few ivory strands escaping from their place in her braid. Why did she keep thinking about him?

She returned her attention to the tryouts, only to see Kuroko scare the living daylights out of Riko as he seemingly appeared out of thin air. The usual reactions followed. Bulging eyes, a yelp of surprise or two, and the fly-catching mouths. After that, he took his shirt off as well.

Riko narrowed her eyes as Kuroko's stats appeared. How was this guy even a regular? His body looked so weak! He only had the lightest layer of muscle covering his body, not what one would expect from a member of the Generation of Miracles. All hopes of him being the phantom sixth man went flying out the second-storey window.

"Shirogane Hikari! Are you here?" Riko called out, looking around and praying fervently that the girl wouldn't pull a Kuroko and pop out of nowhere.

Sadly, her prayers went unanswered. Riko felt a tap on her shoulder, and heard a smooth voice say, "Sumimasen, I'm here."

There was a moment of silence.

"Ahhhh! When did you get here?" Riko screeched, pointing at Hikari.

Eyes that seemed to be different shades of blue swirling around stared at her through the girl's bangs, long white hair fell almost to the small of her back in a neat braid, the girl's curvy figure was prominent in the school uniform, her generous bosom straining against the stiff fabric of the white shirt since the girl had forgone the black sweater, causing Riko to subconsciously cross her arms under her small chest. The girl was quite tall, towering over Riko at about 165cm.

"Ano, I was here since the very beginning…" All those present simultaneously sweat dropped.

"Are you and Kuroko related or something? Both appearing so suddenly…" Riko mumbled to herself.

Giving Riko a sheepish smile, Hikari answered, "Yes actually," Riko's head snapped up, "we're cousins."

"Oh. I see." Riko paused for a moment before she continued, "So, you applied to be manager?"

Receiving a nod in response, Riko smiled almost evilly and said, "Okay! You're our manager now."

She then set a stack of papers in the unsuspecting girl's arms.

"You can go settle these now," the petite coach grinned at the shocked Hikari.

Hikari was flabbergasted. She was just going to let her join? Just like that?! Even Satsuki had to go through an interview first before she could become manager! Barely managing to give the coach a small nod and an almost unheard "Thank you Aida-san", Hikari grabbed the papers and went off. The rest were dismissed.

* * *

Sitting at her desk at home, Hikari found a huge mess of accounts, member data, training schedules and other things all shoved into the stack of paper. She sighed as she began sorting Riko's messy paperwork. Riko really should have gotten a manager sooner, wasting the precious time that could have been used for training on doing paperwork. It must have taken a toll on Riko's body.

A soft 'thunk' on her table roused her from her paperwork-induced haze; Hikari looked up to see Kuroko standing beside her, a glass of warm milk sitting on the desk. He had been quieter than usual after encountering the redhead, Kagami Taiga earlier that evening at the basketball court near their home.

He'd challenged Kuroko to a one-on-one and had obviously won in the end. Then he went on to give a 'speech' on the strong and the weak. That conversation they had must have really affected Kuroko a lot.

"Hikari-chan, go to sleep. It's getting late," Kuroko's brow furrowed as he took in Hikari's tired face.

Said girl yawned and raised her arms above her head, getting rid of the kinks in her back that had formed due to her sitting down for so long. Turning to her concerned cousin, Hikari gave him a small smile, "Oyasumi, Tetsu-nii."

"Oyasumi, Hikari."

The door shut quietly as Hikari sipped at the milk Kuroko had left for her, the warm liquid giving her a rush of comfort. Setting the glass back on the table, she completed her nightly hygiene ritual before checking her phone. To her surprise, there was a message.

**_From: Unknown_**

**_To: Hikari_**

**_Hey babe, this is my new number. How was your day? Mine was boring._**

Hikari's lips quirked up a little.

**_From: Hikari_**

**_To: Unknown_**

**_I'm the new manager of the basketball team. If you'd pay more attention in class, then it won't be so boring. _**

**_Goodnight,_**

**_Hikari_**

Hikari put down her phone and climbed into bed, letting the curtain of darkness wash over her mind.

* * *

Bored blue eyes stared out the window, watching as the raindrops raced their way down the glass panels. Hikari was seated on one of the window ledges, with a pile of completed paperwork next to her. Riko had taken advantage of the rain to put up a match between the first and second-years, it seemed to be going well. Kagami was playing well; stealing the ball from the second-years with relative ease and dunking it straight in the hoop. Kuroko had yet to 'make an appearance'.

Looking away from the game, Hikari stared out at the stormy sky. It was her kind of weather, perfect for staying at home and reading, or watching a good movie. Warm milk would be good too. Her mind wandered to a scene from long ago…

_"Ne, Hikari. What are we watching?" he asked from the couch._

_Looking back at him over her shoulder, Hikari grinned. She plucked out a disc case from her collection and slid it into the player. _

_"I'm not telling you," she stuck her tongue out at him before joining him._

_His long muscular arms wrapped around her instinctively, pulling her closer to him. Nuzzling his face in her hair, he took in the vanilla scent she always had. She reached for the remote on the table, but because she was trapped in his arms, she couldn't reach it. He chuckled and retrieved it with ease, making her pout._

_The movie started, inciting a groan from him as he realized it wasn't an action movie, but rather a comedy. But looking down at the girl in his arms, he made himself comfortable as the movie played. The rain pounding on the windows outside only added to the calmness._

A piercing whistle signaling the end of training roused Hikari from her memories, and she got down from the ledge, blinking as a single tear made its way down her cheeks. It was quickly wiped away. Gathering up the papers, Hikari made her way to the court, where Riko handed a few sheets of notes she had made to her.

"Alright, we're done for the day. Don't forget to cool down and stretch out your muscles before you leave. Remember to hydrate yourselves and rest well," Riko gave a last-minute reminder to the players, who headed for the showers.

Turning to Hikari, she started, "Shirogane."

"You can call me Hikari, Aida-san," Hikari cut in.

"Oh, alright. But only if you call me Riko." Riko just sweat dropped at Hikari's formal address.

Nodding, Hikari replied, "Hai, Riko-senpai."

Riko shook her head at the polite girl, but began explaining all the duties she would need to undertake as team manager. Said manager listened with rapt attention, noting down all the important details in a little book.

So, she would need to make sure when the team went for games, they had enough water to drink and food to eat if needed. She also had to arrange all practice games, training venues, etc. Riko and Hyuga would assist her, but she was mainly the one in-charge.

* * *

Hikari scrolled through the pictures in her phone as she waited in line for her turn to order at Maji Burger. After ordering, she returned to her and Kuroko's seat, only to find Kagami there as well, a large pile of burgers infront of him, and one in Kuroko's hand.

"Hello, Kagami-kun. What a surprise to see you here again," Hikari greeted, sliding into the seat next to Kuroko.

"Shirogane," was the curt reply.

Scarlet orbs stared at her as she handed one vanilla milkshake to Kuroko and began sipping at her own. An orange wrapped burger made its way from Kagami's side of the table to hers, only to be deftly caught in her slender hand.

"Nice reflexes," Kagami commented.

Hikari nodded in acknowledgement and thanks before she unwrapped the offered burger and bit into it.

"Just how strong is the Generation of Miracles?" Kagami asked on the way home.

Two pairs of blue eyes turned to him.

"If I played them now, how would I do?" he continued, not wavering under the scrutiny of their gaze.

Kuroko replied in a flat tone, "You'd be destroyed instantly."

At the same time, Hikari also said, "They'd crush you."

Kagami sweat dropped.

"Do you have to put it like that?" he asked in an irate tone.

The pair infront of him gave him a look.

"The five prodigies have gone on to play for their own schools," Hikari stated, with a sad look on her face.

Kuroko elaborated, "One of those schools will stand at the top."

"That's great. That's the kind of thing that lights a fire in me," Kagami gave an unexpected chuckle, causing the pair to shoot him sideways glances.

"I've decided," the monstrously tall redhead said with an air of finality, "I'll crush all of them and become Japan's best player."

There was a moment of silence to allow the heavy statement to sink into the already tense atmosphere, before Kuroko said, "I don't think that's possible."

That earned him a loud "Hey!" from Kagami, causing Hikari to quietly giggle at Kuroko's anticlimactic statement. They stood at a traffic junction, waiting for the light to turn green.

Kuroko just looked at the taller boy impassively, "If you had hidden talent, I wouldn't know. But, from what I've seen, you wouldn't even reach their feet."

The unlikely trio crossed the road.

"You can't do it alone." Kuroko said as he stepped onto the pavement.

But he continued, "I've decided."

This incited a "Hm?" from a confused Kagami.

"I'm a shadow. But the stronger the light, the darker the shadow, and the more it accentuates the brightness of the light. I will be the shadow to your light and make you the best player in Japan," the teal-haired boy stared straight at redhead before him with a serious expression on his usually blank face.

Kagami made a noise of surprise, but smirked, "Look who's talking. Do whatever you want."

Smiling, Kuroko replied, "I'll do my best."

That day was the happiest Hikari had seen Kuroko ever since he'd quit the Teiko basketball team. Maybe things would work out. Just maybe.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was more of an introduction than an actual chapter. Stay tuned for the next one! ****  
**

**Review, favourite and follow please!**

**Vixen :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey everyone! Welcome to the second chapter of Light of Seirin! Sadly not there was not much response to the first chapter, but thank you to all whom favourited, followed or reviewed! They were very much appreciated and I am very grateful that you bothered to take the time to review. Thank you, and please enjoy!**

**Edited: 9 November 2014**

**A/N: This chapter has been edited, please reread.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except Hikari and she is not in any way related to Eiji or Kozo Shirogane.**

* * *

"Meet me on the rooftop on Monday morning; you can only submit your form then!" Riko informed Kuroko, who nodded, unperturbed by the slightly odd request.

Hikari stepped forward, her own form in hand, wondering if she needed to do the same as Kuroko. Riko, upon seeing her, snatched the form from her hand and smiled widely, "Hikari! You don't have to meet me on the roof on Monday; you're already one of us!"

The white-haired girl almost sweatdropped at her senpai's enthusiasm, but replied anyways, "Hai Riko-senpai, but I will accompany Tetsu-nii on Monday."

"How are you coping? Is the paperwork manageable? I know I left them in a huge mess when I handed them off to you…" Riko asked, losing the hyperness, warm brown eyes full of concern for the new manager of the team.

Hikari smiled slightly, inclining her head at the smaller girl, "It's fine, Riko-senpai. I know it must have been hard to be both manager and coach of the team."

The two girls smiled at each other, before the door to Riko's classroom slammed open and a hyped up Kagami came charging in, club form in hand. The giant redhead loudly demanded for his form to be accepted, only to be told the same thing as Kuroko.

When Kagami had left, Riko looked around for the buxom first-year, but soon realized that the girl had left in the middle of her conversation with Kagami. Shaking her head at the disappearing ability that the pair of cousins both seemed to possess, Riko proceeded to finish her small little carton of milk.

_Monday, on the roof…_

Hikari laughed as she listened to what Riko wanted the new first-years to do. But it was really good motivation for the players to do their best; after all, under the threat of confessing your love in your birthday suit was nothing less than utterly humiliating…

Her swirling blue eyes met with Kuroko's icy blue ones as they communicated silently. Kuroko rarely ever spoke up, even when he did; he would never shout or raise his voice. He somehow managed to produce a loudhailer from goodness know where and raised it slightly. Well, that would do. Hikari shrugged at him from her place next to the rooftop door.

She watched as one by one, all the first-years except Kuroko yelled their goals for the entire student body to hear, with Kagami starting off with a particularly ambitious one; to beat the Generation of Miracles and become Japan's No. 1 player. Hers would have been to reunite the Generation of Miracles and change them to be the people they once were, but that would be impossible…

Kuroko was about to announce his when the principal came charging through the door to the roof, loudly scolding them for disturbing morning assembly.

Hikari could have slipped out, but remained hiding in the shadows as the principal reprimanded the entire basketball team. It was almost funny; how the tall and imposing players were standing with their heads hung like puppies in a ditch as they listened, nodding ever so often to show they understood.

* * *

Hikari smiled as she walked home alone, what with Kuroko having a library club meeting and all, thinking about the message Kuroko had left in the courtyard. He'd always been passionate about basketball, even since they were kids. He would always ask for his parents to bring them to the park just so he could watch the older teens play. She would tag along, watching in fascination as her usually unemotional cousin would light up like a beacon when he watched the bouncing orange ball.

Kuroko still did that, but in a different way now. He would watch the old tapes of their matches in Teiko with a sad smile on his face, when Kuroko had just entered the first string, and everyone was still themselves… The time where she could see the joy on their faces as they played against other schools, the thrill of just being on the court, and not just the passive determination to bring back a victory…

Hikari could even remember a time where she herself had been more open with her emotions and less like her cousin. When she'd been much happier, and spent time chatting with Satsu- ; Momoi-chan while waiting for the boys to finish practice, the time where she had enjoyed watching them play, instead of the cold empty feeling she had felt in their last year at Teiko.

Kuroko had smiled more than, even pranking the other members by appearing suddenly and scaring the daylights out of them. Hell, even Shin-no; Midorima-kun, would occasionally crack a smile at his teammates' antics. Whereas now, he only bothered about his horoscope and just winning.

It was a time, where she had been in love… Not to say she wasn't now. It had just felt so right back then, to sneakily hold hands on the way home, a quick peck on the cheek before each game, no matter how stoic Aominethought he was. He'd changed. She'd changed. They'd all did. And not for the better.

Now, while she knew she still loved him_, _she missed the old him. The one who could laugh endlessly with her, just play a little game of one-on-one with her, even though he knew she could never beat him, the one who would always try to make her smile no matter what.

That part of him was still in there, she was sure of it. It was just harder to make it resurface. Way harder. She just wished the boy she loved would return, and not this mockery of the person she fell in love with.

Her phone buzzed, shocking her out of her memories. She saw that there was a text message from _him_.

**_From: Aomine-kun_**

**_To: Hikari_**

**_Are you free today? Want to go out?_**

Hikari gazed at the small screen of her phone, pondering if she should accept or not. She hadn't seen him since the last date they'd had after the Teiko's graduation ceremony. Why not?

**_From: Hikari_**

**_To: Aomine-kun_**

**_Ok, we can go catch the new horror movie, Night in School. I'll meet you at Maji Burger in ten?_**

Hikari had just snapped her phone shut when it buzzed again.

**_To: Hikari_**

**_From: Aomine-kun_**

**_Ok _**

Checking her reflection in a nearby shop window, Hikari made sure she looked presentable enough and made her way to Maji Burger.

* * *

Hikari smiled at the friendly cashier at the counter who waved at her when she entered the establishment exactly ten minutes later, the scent of fast food pungent in the air around her. She scoured the crowd for her boyfriend but couldn't seem to find him.

Resigning herself to the fact that he was late, Hikari was about to head towards the counter when the door to Maji Burger and she saw a familiar face. Apparently that familiar her face recognised her too.

"Hikaricchi?" Kise Ryota exclaimed, as he walked in, a shorter male trailing in after him.

She nodded her head in greeting, "Hello, Ryo-kun."

Kise had been her best friend, the one who had pushed her to go out with Aominewhen she had been unsure. Even though he had changed the least, there was still some change in him. He would never be the same boy she first met two years ago, but he would always be her very best friend.

"This is my captain, Kasamatsu-senpai," Kise gestured towards the boy standing beside him.

Kasamatsu's thick eyebrows furrowed slightly as he bowed his head and greeted her, "H-hello, n-n-nice to m-m-meet you."

"Shirogane Hikari," Hikari greeted as well, causing the boy to go red and start spluttering a bit before he retreated behind Kise's taller frame.

She turned to Kise and raised a delicate eyebrow at his captain's nervous manner. One would think he would be more confident, for a captain of a rather strong basketball team. Kise mouthed, "Not good with girls."

Hikari nodded in understanding. It could be daunting at times to speak to the opposite sex, especially for one whose life probably revolved around school and basketball…

All of a sudden, the curvy girl was glomped by 6"2ft of blonde model-slash-basketball-player.

"Hikaricchiiiiii, I missed you…" Kise whined.

Struggling under the weight of the much bigger Kise, Hikari tried and failed to get him to let go of her, "Ryo, get off me. People are staring."

Indeed, some people were already looking at the trio of teens near the entrance.

Kise vehemently shook his head, "No, I haven't seen my Hikaricchi in ages…"

"Your Hikaricchi? I was under the impression that she was mine," a deeper, huskier voice joined in.

Kise froze for a second before his brain registered the compromising position he had been caught in, and the things he had been caught saying. He released Hikari immediately and practically yelled, "Nope, nope! Not my Hikaricchi! She's all yours!"

The blonde hurriedly shoved her in the direction of the newcomer before rushing off with his captain; the poor guy didn't even have the chance to see who had spooked Kise so much before he was whisked away, no doubt too terrified by the prospects of what was to come if he had stayed. Hikari giggled at her best friend's antics, before Aomine's hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to their owner.

"What's that Kise think he's doing? Hugging you like that in public…" he rested his chin lightly on top of her head.

Hikari smiled slightly at the sight of her boyfriend; she couldn't help it, no matter how much he had changed, she still loved him after all. She leaned against his firm chest, taking in his musky scent, allowing herself to forget the world for that single blissful moment.

"You're late, you know," Hikari murmured.

"Sorry."

Hikari tilted her head up to peck him on the cheek and said, "It's okay."

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Get away from me!" The female character screeched as a headless corpse dressed in her school uniform walked towards her.

Hikari scoffed at the stupidity of the girl. She should never have accepted the dare from her friends to stay a night in the 'haunted school' in the first place. Her friends probably rigged the place to scare her… Snorting as the girl freaked out and started running for her life, Hikari snuggled closer to Aomine, who was practically radiating heat. His long arms were around her, providing her with the much needed warmth in the cold cinema.

She looked up to observe her boyfriend's sleeping face; yes he had fallen asleep amidst the screams and cries of terror, because the movie just wasn't scary. No blood whatsoever, only some corpse running around and the eerie background music. It was an utter fail.

His usually sharp and intimidating features were smooth, his mouth; normally twisted into a frown or a smirk, was schooled in an almost serene expression. He looked so peaceful and innocent, unlike the person he'd become. Hikari continued staring, at least until he emitted a soft snore, causing the girl in his arms to let out a giggle.

Hikari turned back to the movie, watching as the girl tripped and fell down the stairs, landing in a pool of blood. Then the movie ended. Hikari shook her head at the crappy movie and shook the sleeping boy beside her.

"Oi, wake up!" she hissed into his ear.

He woke up, blinking his eyes owlishly. He took in Hikari glaring at him impatiently, the people who were exiting the cinema and the credits rolling on the large screen.

"Oh, it's over already," the tall teen stated.

Hikari rolled her eyes. "Yes, baka. Let's go, I need to get home soon."

Nodding, he stood up and they made their way outside the cinema. Almost shyly, he grasped her smaller hand in his larger ones, intertwining their fingers. Hikari looked at him, but said nothing. They walked home in silence, enjoying each other's company, hand in hand, both lost in their own thoughts.

Just as they reached the porch of her house, he stopped, and pulled her into an unexpected hug. His mouth was pressed against her head; she could feel his lips moving as he spoke, "I missed you."

She placed her hands behind neck and looked at him, pulling him close so that their foreheads were touching. His tall, hulking frame engulfed her smaller, thinner one, but she enjoyed the warm feeling she experienced every time he did this. It made her feel safe and at ease.

"I missed you too."

Aomine sighed, closing his eyes as he rested his forehead against Hikari's, a tanned arm around her waist pulling her flush against him. His other hand played with the strands of her white hair that hung to her back loosely, winding them around a finger and releasing it moments later.

They both remained in the embrace for a few moments, just relishing in the presence of each other. Dark blue eyes met swirling sapphire ones, both conveying messages privy only to the other. With a small sigh, Hikari tilted her head back up.

The blue-haired ace pressed a small kiss to her forehead before loosening the arm around Hikari. Unexpectedly, said girl grabbed his chin and snuck a light peck on his lips, causing the usually cocky and stoic boy's cheeks to redden slightly.

Hikari gave a cheeky smile and teased, "Aw look, you're blushing!"

The glare sent her way told her that he didn't appreciate her little comment. But nevertheless, he pulled her close again. And they stood like that under the slowly darkening evening sky, staring into each other's eyes, in their own little world.

With the cars rushing by, the pair never noticed Kuroko watching them from the window, half-hidden behind the curtain, a sad expression on his face. When Aomine and Hikari finally separated, he quickly retreated further into the house, lest either of the two caught sight of him.

How he wished his cousin could always be this happy…

**A/N (9 November 2014): And that's a wrap for this chapter! I know it's mostly filler, and lot of fluffiness, but I hope you guys enjoyed it! Does Aomine seem too OOC? I've changed it so his identity wasn't that much of a secret.**

**Please tell me what you think about this story. Review, favourite and follow! :D**

**Vixen**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the support you guys have shown. I'm trying to update as often as possible, but my exams are in a week so this will be the last update for now, I think. I really should start studying…**

**Thank you to those who followed, favourited and reviewed!**

**As usual, reviews are very much appreciated! Please enjoy!**

**Edited: 9 November 2014**

**A/N: This chapter has been edited, please reread.**

**Presenting, the third chapter of Light of Seirin!**

* * *

"Alright, everyone!" Riko paused for a few moments for the players to gather around her, "We have an announcement!"

Riko gestured for the taller girl beside her to continue.

"We will have a practice match against Kaijo High next week," the white-haired manager of Seirin stated in a quiet but clear voice.

This announcement incited murmurs from the players; Kaijo had a strong team and was on a national level, frequently appearing in the Inter-High. How were they to defeat them? Even if it was a practice match, it would be hard.

"They have recently acquired one of the Generation of Miracles, Kise Ryouta. This adds onto their already rather formidable strength," Hikari continued, causing the players' expressions to turn sour at the prospect of facing such a tough opponent.

"Seirin! Don't look so disheartened, we've worked hard and we could stand a chance to win against Kaijo. Ganbatte, minna!" Riko encouraged her team with a big smile on her face, her fist pumped in the air.

"Put in your best effort everyone," came the softer, but equally firm voice of Hikari.

With that, the team, now empowered with the encouragement of their coach and manager, renewed their efforts in their training. Hikari watched as the boys completed every set of exercises Riko set them, with little to no complaints, all focused on giving it their all.

She smiled. A real smile. Not the small polite one she gave her teachers and classmates, but a full smile, teeth and all. It was so unexpected that the team actually stopped to stare at the smiling Hikari. She looked so happy and at peace, a contented look in her bright blue eyes.

Riko herself couldn't help but stare at the expression on her kouhai's face; it was the happiest she had ever seen her, not that she had seen her all that often. Kuroko, while observing his cousin, was reminded of the days in Teiko, before it all happened, where she watched every practice alongside Momoi, with a smile on her face, much like the one that adorned her pretty face right now.

Hikari didn't notice the entire Seirin basketball team staring at her; she was too preoccupied with the image of teamwork they displayed even in training. With a sharp blow on her whistle, Riko signaled for the players to continue on with training.

Just then, a loud series of shrieks and squeals invaded the Seirin gym, the sounds of serious fangirling getting closer and closer to the gym. As they grew louder, the Seirin team could make out what exactly they were screaming about.

"_Ahhhhhhhhh! Is that Kise-kun? Nyaaa, he's so much more handsome in real life!"_

"_Oh my god, it's Kise Ryouta!"_

"_KISE-SAMA! I LOVE YOU, WILL YOU MARRY ME?"_

Soon enough, a tall blonde entered the gym, with a horde of screeching fangirls. He had almond-shaped amber eyes and an earring in his right earlobe. Dressed in the grey Kaijo uniform, he gave off a casual boyish air.

Kise Ryouta cast a look at his fans before chuckling nervously and said to the astonished Seirin basketball team, "Uh, could you give me five minutes?"

Riko barely managed to give the blonde a nod. With that, he sat aside and began to sign the autographs of his many fans, giving a charming smile to them every now and then. Finally, after the last ones were gone, Kise turned to Seirin.

"Hi everyone!" The blonde player greeted.

"Kise-kun? Why are you here?" Kuroko's voice asked the question that was on all the players' minds.

"Kurokocchi! When I heard that our next opponent was Seirin, I remembered Kurokocchi and Hikaricchi went here, so I thought I'd come say hi,." Kise answered.

"Woah! Kise Ryota, started basketball only in the middle of his second year of middle school, and immediately made it to the first string of Teiko!" one of the first-years read out from a magazine that he had apparently managed to acquire in the middle of practice.

Kise scratched his head in embarrassment, "Eh… The magazine's exaggerating… I'm actually the weakest one of them all…"

WHACK!

Kise was hit on the back of his head by Hikari's clipboard; he immediately clutched at the spot where he had been hit, crocodile tears streaming down his handsome face a second later. The white-haired girl just glared at the childish blonde.

"Itai! Hikaricchi, you're so mean!" Kise pouted childishly.

Hikari gave Kise a stern look, "That's what you get, Ryo, for interrupting our practice. Don't you have practice today?"

"Ehehe, about that… I skipped practice to come and see you guys today. Don't tell Kasamatsu-senpai," Kise gave a sheepish grin.

The rest of the Seirin team, with the exception of Kuroko, just sweat dropped. Was this guy stupid or something? His senpai would definitely know he skipped practice since he wasn't there…

Hikari looked into Kise's pleading golden puppy dog eyes for a second, giving Kise the hope that she wasn't going to spill, before saying, "I'm telling Kasamatsu-san."

Kise began to wail and cry, about how 'Hikaricchi wanted him to die', when all of a sudden, a basketball was thrown at him. Straightening up immediately, the ace of the Kaijo team caught the ball effortlessly, his earlier tears nowhere to be found.

"You. Kise Ryouta. You're from the Generation of Miracles, right?" Kagami asked, walking towards the flaxen-haired boy from the middle of the court where he had been practicing.

"Ah, yes. You are?"

Fierce crimson eyes stared into gold ones.

"My name is Kagami Taiga, and I challenge you to a one-on-one!"

The Seirin team waited with bated breath for Kise's response. Would he accept Kagami's challenge?

"Sure, I've been itching to play some basketball anyway" Kise took off his jacket and tie, walking towards the court, all traces of his hyper personality gone.

"This isn't going to be good…" Kuroko muttered to Hikari.

"Ryo knows what he's doing. Most of the time, anyway," Hikari replied.

The pair watched as Kagami was beaten by Kise, who countered using the moves Kagami had used previously, only stronger and faster. He had really changed since their time at Teiko; to be able to copy and improve a move so quickly was no small feat, he used to be able to only copy the moves at the level they were performed. This piece of information was relayed to the other curious members of the team.

When the game ended, in Kise's favour, Kise walked over to where Hikari and Kuroko were standing.

"Kurokocchi, Hikaricchi, why don't you come over to Kaijo with me? I respect you very much; Kurokocchi, but you're just wasting your talent here. Let's play basketball together again! And I miss you Hikaricchi" The Kaijo ace offered, although he looked around carefully before he said the last part, as if waiting for Aomine popping out of nowhere

Just what was this guy doing? A tick formed on both Hyuga and Riko's foreheads. Was he really trying to poach Kuroko and Hikari right infront of the entire team? Was he that stupid? Did he actually think they would let him snatch their team members?

"I'm sorry, Kise-kun. I will have to decline your offer. I am happy here at Seirin, and I believe Hikari-chan is as well," the sixth member of the Generation of Miracles inclined his head slightly at the taller boy, his features schooled into his usual emotionless expression.

"B-but Kurokocchi! Seirin sucks! Come to Kaijo!" Kise exclaimed, not noticing the rising ire of the other members of the Seirin team.

Kuroko shook his head, "I can't leave. I've made a promise to Kagami-kun."

"What promise?"

"To help him defeat the Generation of Miracles and become the number one player in Japan," this was said with such conviction that everyone stared at Kuroko, eyes wide as saucers and mouths turning into fly-catchers.

Kise broke the silence, "You're joking right? How can he beat the rest of _them_? He can barely even keep up with me!"

Teal blue eyes met with scornful golden ones, such seriousness was embedded in those chips of ice that Kise had to break the connection.

"Ryo," Hikari started.

"Yes, Hikaricchi?" Kise fervently hoped that she would agree to go to Kaijo with him, he missed her –ssu!

"You're an idiot."

The blonde model crumpled from his previously hopeful stance, "Why, Hikaricchi? I didn't do anything!"

Sighing, Hikari pinched his ear tightly and started dragging him out of the gym, calling over her shoulder, "Gomennasai, Riko-senpai, Hyuga-senpai! I will take care of this idiot, please continue with practice!"

Sounds of Kise resisting Hikari's hold on his ear could be heard as the pair made their way out, an occasional whine or two coming from the blonde's mouth, a reprimand following soon after.

The team just stood there, a little shocked at the events that had just transpired. Had a member of the Generation of Miracles just visited them? Won a one-on-one match with their ace? Tried to poach not only one of their players but their manager too? And then had he just been dragged out like unwanted trash by that very same manager? The world was getting making less and less sense each day.

Nevertheless, Riko barked out a short series of orders for the players to return to their previous training before the arrival of one Kise Ryouta. While his appearance had been definitely unexpected, it certainly had made the players all that much more determined to work harder to be able to defeat Kaijo in their upcoming match.

There was a new spark in their eyes, a focused gleam that had not been there before. All of them renewed their efforts to beat Kaijo in their upcoming practice match. Kuroko was, in his own little way, happy to see his ex-teammate.

After seeing how much Kise had improved, Kuroko seemed to be even more determined to fulfill his promise to Kagami. Said redhead was especially encouraged; he had another challenge to face and boy was he looking forward to it.

Riko looked on proudly as her team went through plays flawlessly, the ball passed from hand to hand in smooth movements, each of the members playing the sport they all loved with a smile on their faces. This was why she had finally agreed to be their coach; to see the players united in their goal of being the best team in Japan.

* * *

"Ryo-kun, don't be so down. You played well today, it's just that Seirin played better," Hikari attempted to comfort the sad blonde as he packed up his things, patting him on the head soothingly.

His eye twitched as he turned to his best friend with a slightly irritated expression, the sadness from his loss to Seirin not completely dissipated yet, "Wow, Hikaricchi. You really know how to comfort people."

Said girl gave an uncharacteristic closed-eye smile that displayed the smug feeling she was experiencing, "So I've been told. Now, I believe you owe me some money, Ryou-kun?"

Grumbling slightly about 'mean Hikaricchis who robbed him of his money' and how 'he should have listened to Oha Asa that morning', Kise took out 10 000 yen from his wallet and passed it to a smirking Hikari. (I've calculated that 1 000 yen in my currency is about $11, so I'm basing the amount of money Kise owes using it okay? Future money matters as well. Please take note.)

"I'll train harder, and I will beat Seirin, Hikaricchi," Kise said quietly as he handed the money over, voice filled with determination.

Hikari nodded and patted the blonde model on the cheek in thanks before _skipping _towards the Seirin team, who stared at her in shock. The unemotional girl was actually skipping?! Was she like Coach, who skipped every time she planned something cruel for them?

"Hikari-chan does this when she's happy. You need not fear for your lives, my friends," Kuroko assured his fear-stricken teammates, who all breathed a sigh of relief.

Frankly speaking, Hikari had been glad that Kaijo had lost, if just to rub it into the faces of the opposing team's coach, who had initially been disbelieving that Riko was their coach and not their manager. He'd even arranged for them to play only half-court, at least until Kagami had broken the hoop off of the board. The coach had hastily ordered the players practicing on the other half of the court to clear off before the game resumed once again. Well, it served him right to underestimate Seirin!

Upon reaching the team, Hikari handed half of her 'prize money' to Riko, saying, "Riko-senpai, this can go into the club budget. I don't need so much."

"Um, Hikari. Why was Kise giving you money?" Hyuga asked, eyes slightly wide at the not-so-small amount of money.

The ivory-haired manager tilted her head to the side innocently, and replied, "Ryo and I made a bet on the outcome of this practice match. He bet that Kaijo would win, and I bet that Kaijo would lose."

The unspoken _I believed that Seirin would win _hung in the air. Everyone's hearts swelled as they realised that their manager had so much faith in them that she risked a reasonably large amount of money for them. Riko smiled at her kouhai as she accepted the money, glad that someone believed in the team. The victorious atmosphere followed the team back to the train station.

"Let's go get something to eat," Riko suggested, prompting everyone to pull out what remaining money they had.

What money they all had formed a pitiful amount of money, even after including the money Hikari had won from Kise but excluding the amount donated to the club budget. In the end, Riko brought the team to a steak house where they would have to finish 4kg steak in 30 minutes or else they'll pay 10 000 yen each if they fail. The players all blanched at the idea of eating so much but since they had no choice, they all started eating the humongous steak that sat infront of them.

Hikari, though, decided to opt out and just watched as the boys made themselves ill by stuffing their stomachs with copious amounts of beef. Riko did the same as the only other female on the team, albeit discreetly snitching a bite or two from Hyuga's plate when the restaurant owner wasn't paying attention, to curb her hunger.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the entire- well almost the entire, Seirin basketball team was groaning in agony at the amount of steak they had just been forced to finish; not that any of them had actually managed to finish the horrendously-sized steak. Well there was one…

Chomp. Chomp. Chomp.

"Oi, this steak is really good! Why are you guys stopping?" an oblivious Kagami wiped his mouth as he finished his own plate of steak.

Riko, seeing the solution to their steak problem, immediately instructed the other not-so-carnivorous members of the team to give the remnants of their unfinished steak to Kagami, who promptly inhaled the food he was given, much to the horror of his teammates.

Kagami burped as he finished the last of the steak, sighs of relief escaping the members of Seirin basketball; both at seeing their monetary problems vanish and being finally spared the sight of Kagami wolfing down plate after plate of sauce-covered beef.

Unfortunately, the restaurant owner had not been happy when he saw that the table of twelve (Note Hikari's addition, making the team total twelve) had actually managed to finish the required amount of steak, and had kicked them out with a warning to never return again.

Once the team had gathered outside of the steakhouse, they realised that Kuroko was actually missing. Knowing the shadow, he could have slipped out at any point of time and they wouldn't have noticed. Nevertheless, they began their search for their wayward teammate.

Kagami was about to follow his senpais in the search for Kuroko when he felt a light tug on his gakuran sleeve. Looking down, he found Hikari there, a neutral expression on her face.

"Kagami-kun, I know where Tetsu-nii is," Hikari informed the redheaded ace.

"Uh, so where is Kuroko, Shirogane?" Kagami scratched his head, much like how a monkey would do.

Without giving him an answer, Hikari started walking, Kagami huffed and quickly followed after. The two made their way to Kuroko's destination in relative silence before Hikari broke it, "Kagami-kun, do you love basketball?"

"Of course! What kind of question is that?" the crimson-haired ace answered, slightly miffed that someone would doubt his love for the sport.

Hikari didn't reply to Kagami's loud outburst and instead continued, "Why?"

Without even needing time to think, Kagami instantly replied with a large grin adorning his feral features, "I love it because I get to compete with a lot of strong opponents! I like the thrill of a challenge! After all, life is about challenges! Without strong opponents, living isn't fun. It's perfect if I can't win!"

"I…see."

Hikari observed the tall redhead, taking in the obvious joy that appeared on his face when he was talking about his favourite sport, the gleam in his eyes when he thought about facing formidable opponents, not to mention the idiotic grin that adorned his harsh features.

In a way, Kagami Taiga resembled the Aomine Daiki from two years ago; always eager to play basketball, constantly hoping for stronger opponents to face, always doing his best at both practice and in matches and playing basketball with a joyful smile.

The eagerness Kagami displayed every time they held practice matches during practice, the infectious grin he sported whenever he managed a dunk or defeated a particularly strong opponent, it all brought back memories. Memories she wasn't sure she wanted to remember. After all, memories were exactly that, a thing of the past… Never to return…

If only that him could return…

* * *

**A/N: And that's a wrap my friends! Longest chapter yet :D (3318 words; yes, I've updated it)**

**I'm feeling proud of myself, I finished this chapter in a day; along with a lot of sidetracking. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

**Please leave a review if you liked it.**

**If you didn't like it, please tell me why and I will try to make changes.**

**Favourites, follows and reviews are highly appreciated and welcome! Could I please have 5 reviews before I post the next chapter please? Please? I really want to know what you guys think about my story!**

**A/N: This chapter has been edited, the next chapter should be out soon I hope. Meanwhile, a review would be really nice :)**

**Thanks :D**

**Ja ne**

**Nikki**


	4. Important Author's Note

**Hello everyone,**

**First off, I'm sorry to those who thought this was a chapter, but if you've seen my profile, I'm currently suffering from writer's block. I am slowly recovering from it so the next chapter should be up within the next few weeks… (Edited)**

**Secondly, I HAVE EDITED the first three chapters. Please go back to read them, they are minor details that details the characters' personalities, etc.**

**Thank you for reading this, I promise it will be taken down once the new chapter is up.**

**Nikki**


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